


Cloud of Unknowing

by LevelSetPower



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff and Angst, I don't know enough about either lmao, I'm so sorry, M/M, Misunderstandings, but like... sort of a mix between US and UK university sorry, flirty!jongho, from a twt prompt, insecure!yeosang, it's finally here!, light angst tho!, mischevious wooyoung, oblivious!yeosang, seonghwa likes shots, yees (yeosang knees)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:34:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25608208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LevelSetPower/pseuds/LevelSetPower
Summary: “I’m sure you’ll do great in it, hyungie. You’re so smart; my smart and pretty hyung.” The younger man went on, clearly determined to get his daily rise out of Yeosang for his and their other friends’ amusement.Yeosang kept his head down, eating as quickly as he could and blocking out all the sounds around him. When he heard Jongho compliment Mingi on his new piercings, tone as boisterous and flirtatious as he had been with Yeosang just moments before, he found himself sighing deeply and scurrying off home to totally not cry a little bit._________________________From a twt prompt by @austhread: Okay but a jongsang au or fic where jongho tries to get the attention of yeosang, saying things like "you are the most beautiful one here" "im thinking about you constantly" but yeosang thinks all of it is a joke bc thats the way jongho as always been and he doesn't think its true
Relationships: Choi Jongho/Kang Yeosang
Comments: 12
Kudos: 187





	Cloud of Unknowing

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so the awesome user @austhread posted this prompt and I couldn't resist. It got kinda sad? a little bit? so sorry about that, but don't worry the ending is happy! I live for cheesy, flirtatious Jongho.
> 
> I hope everyone is enjoying the new comeback! I'm glad I could post this to celebrate how amazing the whole mini-album is! Stream inception! Also, thanks for all the love for my last fic, with builder!jongho. I didn't expect it to be so loved, so thanks!!
> 
> FYI, please send me prompts if you want some Jongsang brought into the world! I really like writing from prompts actually, so don't be shy, send them my way!
> 
> Thanks!  
> 

Yeosang shuffled into the university dining hall around 12.30, tired after a long and drawn-out syntax lecture in which he completely failed to understand anything about the role of nominal phrases. Sighing deeply, he parked his stuff at the table designated for his dorm and went to grab some overcooked chicken and maybe some pasta from the various stations dotted around the dining area. He rolled up the sleeves of his green velveteen hoodie in preparation for the lunch rush battle, trying to be quiet so as to go undetected. 

However, he wasn’t able to slip away before the bane of his existence decided to rear his head.

“Oh, Yeosangie-hyung! You look so cute today, I love that hoodie on you.” Choi Jongho spouted, staring up at Yeosang, totally ignoring his burger and fries. The younger boy’s eyes shone with pure mirth and mischievousness. 

Yeosang sighed, turning away and trying to ignore the beating in his chest. He ignored his younger friend and scurried away to grab his choice of lunch for the day. 

Jongho had always been like this, for as long as Yeosang could remember: greasy. He’d always slide up to one of his 7 best friends with some cheesy pickup line, his and Yeosang’s other friends laughing at his hilarious flirting attempts with them all, as if anyone would want to flirt with Yeosang  _ at all _ .

The whole thing was difficult for Yeosang. He thought it would be funny if only he didn’t genuinely have feelings for the younger, but his long-time crush on the boy made his antics incredibly hurtful. Jongho, in all his young stupid obliviousness, had taken no notice of Yeosang’s obvious crush and continued to flirt with everyone and everything that moved. The older boy tried to not let it affect him, but sometimes, especially when he was feeling stressed, touch-starved, or lonely, it was hard. 

Sighing, Yeosang finished grabbing his food and sat down at the table, praying he’d be left alone to steep in his embarrassment at once again being the target of Jongho’s jokes. 

He took a sip from his water and unfortunately, Jongho had noticed his presence. The younger turned away from his argument about basketball with Yunho to face Yeosang, grinning with that same humor in his eyes. 

“You’re, like, literally the most beautiful boy I’ve ever seen. I love your blonde hair, hyung” Jongho declared shamelessly as Yeosang dragged the knife through his chicken breast. Yeosang sighed and tried to ignore the younger, hoping he’d try it on with someone else. Yeosang wasn’t in the mood after that lecture. 

“Are you stressed about your syntax class, hyung?” Jongho prodded, not letting Yeosang get away with ignoring him. He turned his body fully to face Yeosang, staring at him with his big doe eyes and following his hyung’s movements as he ate his chicken. 

“Leave me alone, Jongho-yah” Yeosang attempted, feebly. He really didn’t want to deal with this after his horrific lecture and the worries he had over his upcoming syntax midterm. 

“I’m sure you’ll do great in it, hyungie. You’re so smart; my smart and pretty hyung.” The younger man went on, clearly determined to get his daily rise out of Yeosang for his and their other friends’ amusement. 

Yeosang kept his head down, eating as quickly as he could, blocking out all the sounds around him. When he heard Jongho compliment Mingi on his new piercings, tone as boisterous and flirtatious as he had been with Yeosang, he found himself deeply sighing and scurrying off home to _totally_ _not_ cry a little bit.

* * *

Yeosang was at a party, a rare event indeed. Seonghwa and Hongjoong threw one to celebrate the successful completion of Hongjoong’s art midterm project, and Yeosang found himself dragged along by Wooyoung, whose puppy-dog eyes should be registered as a global threat.

The other boy had turned up at his door at, like, four PM when Yeosang was knee-deep in Hotel del Luna on Netflix. He had merely flashed Yeosang a grin and insisted he put on the fishnets he’d bought under a pair of tight black jeans with huge rips. He’d then thrust a loose button-up at his friend and put on what felt like an excessive amount of makeup. 

Yeosang had to admit he looked pretty good, especially when he’d first seen himself in the cheesy “reveal” moment. But now, his eyes just felt weird and the fishnets were digging into his ass and he knew he would run into Jongho and he wanted to go home. 

After their arrival and after Wooyoung promptly abandoned him to find Yunho, Yeosang skulked into the kitchen and inspected with great intrigue the cheap drinks Seonghwa had provided. 

Suddenly he felt a presence at his back, like a ghost…..a  _ flirty _ ghost. 

“Wow, you really look amazing tonight, Hyung” Jongho shouted over the loud Miss A song blasting through the apartment, “That shirt on you is sinful” he whispered right in Yeosang’s ear, dragging his hand down Yeosang’s side to loom over his waist. 

To get his hopes up like that, over and over again was just cruel. It made him feel like a prize pig, all dolled up but for others’ amusement never their real appreciation. This was why he hated parties.

As the night went on and everyone including Yeosang became significantly drunker, he did start to enjoy himself more. Hongjoong had already done a mean Akdong Musician cover over the karaoke machine Yunho had brought, and Mingi had been shouting about something for the past, like, seven minutes?

Suddenly Yeosang was slammed into from the left, knocking most of his punch out of his red solo cup and causing him to stumble. 

“Pretty hyungie… why can’t you see what I’m trying to do?” Jongho drunkenly wailed, no doubt incredibly upset that no one at that very moment was appreciating how ducking hilarious he, or his flirtatious bit, was. 

From the corner of his eye, Yeosang saw San sniggering. He obviously found Jongho’s predicament hilarious and loved to see Yeosang embarrassed. 

Jongho heard San’s giggles and turned around, enthusiastically launching himself at the other boy. “Sannie-hyung loves me, right?” He fished boldly, “kitten hyung loves me!” 

San just smiled down at his dongsaeng and ruffled his hair, “of course, Jjongie.” He squished Jongho’s cheeks and dragged him off to dance and drink more, Yeosang promptly forgotten by both. 

Biting back more tears, Yeosang shrugged a drunken Mingi, who had somehow materialized while Yeosang was watching San and Jongho in jealousy, off and ran home. He put Hotel de Luna back on Netflix, ordered a pizza, and cried again. 

* * *

Wooyoung and San were having a movie night in honor of Wooyoung’s Japanese class watching Howl’s Moving Castle for their culture unit. Try as he might, even using his upcoming midterms as an excuse, Yeosang couldn’t get out of it. Wooyoung had very convincing puppy dog eyes, okay?

He’d arrived with a box of chicken in hand and found his 7-strong gaggle arranged chaotically around the couch. Seonghwa was trying to get up to greet Yeosang (and no doubt fix him up some strange alcoholic drink) but Hongjoong wouldn’t let him go, looking the picture of comfort snuggled next to his boyfriend. 

Wooyoung and San were telling Mingi a story about how a guy in San’s class had accidentally shown porn on his screen while giving a PowerPoint presentation, and Yunho was with Jongho, emerging from the kitchen, drinks in hand.

Yeosang sighed. He had been hoping to arrive before Jongho to ensure he wouldn’t have to interact with the boy’s shenanigans.

Jongho flashed him a huge smile, oblivious to Yeosang’s inner turmoil, “so happy to see you Yeosangie hyung!” He grabbed the chicken box from Yeosang’s hands and pulled him into a hug, “you smell great hyung, as ever. I’ve always wanted to cuddle you. Maybe we can tonight? While the movie is on?”

Mingi and Yunho screeched at this, proving ample distraction for Yeosang to run away to the bathroom to splash cold water on his face and maybe cry just a little bit more.

He became lost in thought as he stared at his reflection in Seonghwa and Hongjoong’s water-streaked mirror. He knew Jongho was out of his league. He was on the soccer team, active in the school’s biggest community outreach student organization, and had amazing grades. Yeosang knew he was a boring and mediocre-performing linguistics major with a boring lack of extracurriculars and a dull face. He fully understood what the joke was, but that didn’t make it hurt less. He wouldn’t ever be able to get over Jongho if the boy kept constantly reminding him of things they’d never be able to do together, what they’d never be able to have. 

After a few deep breaths, and feeling slightly more ready to go out into the wild again, he heard a knock at the door.

_ Please don’t be Jongho, please don’t be Jongho, please don’t be Jongho. _

“It’s Seonghwa” the voice announced.

Huffing a huge sigh of relief, Yeosang opened the door to see his hyung’s face painted with a pained expression. He was holding a glass of water, thick eyebrows scrunched in worry.

“Thought you might want something to drink? It’s not vodka I promise” he said as he offered up the drink. 

“Thanks, hyung. Sorry about that” Yeosang mumbled, suddenly more embarrassed of his own actions than Jongho’s.

“Don’t apologize, Yeosangie. Just tell hyung what’s up?” the elder offered. 

“I just… it’s hard. To hear him say that stuff” Yeosang gritted out.

Seonghwa fixed him with a sympathetic but reserved look.

“If it makes you that uncomfortable, you should just talk to him about it. He really doesn’t mean any harm, he doesn’t know how to approach this kind of stuff” Seonghwa comforts. Yeosang is a little confused at what he means exactly, but there’s nothing he’d like to do less than continue discussing that particular topic. 

“Talk to him about it? No fucking way. I’d rather die” he pouted accordingly. 

Seonghwa just sighed, patted Yeosang on the back, and stalked out. Shortly after his footsteps fell out of earshot, Yeosang heard him shout “shots!”

Hyping himself up and going back into the living room, Yeosang winced as all eyes fell to him. 

“You feeling okay, Yeosangie-hyung?” Jongho enquired, big doe eyes  _ again _ causing Yeosang endless pain and angst.

“Fine,” he played it off, “Just, bad stomach, or something..” 

“He probably needed to do a huge fart and didn’t want to ruin his prince image by doing it in public!” Mingi screeched, only encouraged more by Yunho giggling endlessly at his side. 

Jongho’s face scrunched up a little bit, probably repulsed at the thought of Yeosang even more than he usually was. However, this didn’t last long. His mischievous smile was back before too long.

“Awww. Well, I’d let you fart in front of me, pretty Yeosangie-hyung!” He declared, thinking he was the funniest person on the planet, “I think about you constantly, so I don’t mind seeing all sides of you! I don’t think it’s gross!”

In response, Mingi, Yunho, and San howled with laughter, imitating Jongho’s tone and the phrase “I think about you constantly”.

Suddenly Yeosang felt immensely underwhelmed by his glass of water and fixed Seonghwa with the “emergency shots” look. Seonghwa, delighted his patented look was finally getting some use, dashed to the kitchen. 

* * *

About 4 shots in and halfway through Howl’s Moving Castle, the group took a pee and chicken-refill break. Yeosang had previously been sandwiched on the couch between Yunho and Mingi on one side, who kept commenting on how they’d do Howl in a heartbeat if they were 2-dimensional, and Hongjoong, who kept glancing longingly at Seonghwa. Their eldest sat on the floor with Jongho who was, of course, cuddling up to him. Seonghwa wrapped up Jongho in his arms and was patting the younger’s hair. They looked cute together, and although Yeosang knew Seonghwa had Hongjoong, he felt his heart contract and twist.

Yeosang didn’t want to get up, comfortable in his spot, and not in need of any more food and certainly no more shots. However, as soon as the movie was paused, Hongjoong elbowed his ribs.

“Yeo, do me a favor. Please?” Hongjoong genuinely batted his eyelashes. 

Yeosang just exhaled forcefully.

“Hongjoong-hyung, you literally  _ live _ with Seonghwa. You are attached to him like a limpet 23 hours a day. Let me have my one hour?” He attempted. 

Hongjoong didn’t reply but gazed at Yeosang with bright, shining eyes. 

“Fine.” Yeosang grumbled, moving to the floor and to the “Jongho danger zone”. 

He could practically hear Jongho’s smile as he sat next to him on the floor. The younger immediately wrapped his strong arms around Yeosang’s waist and plopped his head on Yeosang’s shoulder as the movie resumed. 

Yeosang fell asleep like that, wrapped around Jongho and half watching the movie. Jongho had fallen asleep before him, slightly drooling but not letting his grip on Yeosang loosen at all. His last thoughts before drifting off were wistful, wishing one day he could have this with Jongho for real, not as part of a fucking bit.

* * *

The next time it happened, Yeosang was at his dance show.

He’d somehow made it onto the cultural show dance team and his seven friends had agreed to come to watch him, including Jongho.

He had found dance a great way to distract him from all his worries: his syntax midterm, how he was going to afford his next round of hair bleaching, and Jongho. He performed in the red lantern dance, spinning and hopping around with a lantern in his hands and a red flower in his hair. His worries from the past couple of weeks seemed to fade away as he performed the well-memorized routine, perfected after many late nights in the studio with his group.

He felt a little guilty for making everyone come out to his show just to see him in one of the many acts of the night, even worse because they had to pay for tickets. But when he bowed and caught Wooyoung and Seonghwa’s gaze from where they sat about 5 rows back, he couldn’t help but be elated that they made it. 

After the show, he ran up to the group who were cheering manically. He embraced Seonghwa, who ruffled his hair, and Hongjoong who imitated his little hops while giggling himself into a stupor. 

Jongho was, for some insane reason, holding a big bouquet of roses, waiting back until everyone else had greeted Yeosang.

Yeosang caught sight of the younger boy, looking rather sheepish as he, no doubt, rehearsed his greasy line in his head, ready to embarrass Yeosang after one of his most meaningful moments in recent memory. The sight caused Yeosang to become kind of angry. Who was Jongho to taint this moment of confidence and joy, of self-love, by reminding Yeosang just how little he was loved in the way he most wanted to be?

Wishing and praying that Jongho would somehow receive his telepathy and go the fuck away, he avoided eye contact, even as the younger approached. 

“Please don’t,” Yeosang began, watching Jongho’s shoes intently, “please. I can’t do this.”

“W-what?” Jongho asked, clearly playing some kind of a long-form bit, “I just wanted to say you did great, hyung. You’re so graceful,” when Yeosang looked up, Jongho was smiling, but a little weakly, with some wobbles around the edges. 

“I’m sorry, I-I can’t keep playing this game with you” Yeosang admitted, finally. It felt good to finally say it out loud. 

“Huh?” Jongho exclaimed, fiddling with the paper the roses were wrapped in. His eyes looked a little glossy. Wow, he had really improved his acting recently, Yeosang thought. 

Yeosang swallowed deeply, trying not to cry. He simply patted Jongho’s arm in lieu of a hug, which he definitely couldn’t handle at that exact moment, and walked off to the dressing rooms to grab his stuff.

By the time he got back out and met back up with his friends, Jongho was gone. 

* * *

Yeosang didn’t see much of Jongho in the weeks following the dance showcase. He managed to go to class, eat his lunch, and even go to the gym without running into the younger and being reminded of his pain. 

He was surprised that Jongho was so MIA, since every other time Yeosang had brushed off his flirty antics, he’d bounced right back. Maybe there was an issue at home? Maybe he was having a rough time with classes too?

Anyway, though Jongho was his friend (arguably more, but does it, like, count as more if it isn’t reciprocated?), he had a serious problem on his hands: his syntax midterm. He’d been procrastinating about it for literal weeks, and it was tomorrow. He was going to perish. 

He had set up shop in the only floor of the library that didn’t ever close, hoping to ram the concepts into his brain enough to scrape a pass in the exam. He was wholly consumed by his task, drawing and re-drawing trees and trying to work out why “very” can only go in one place but variants of “do” apparently can go in lots of places. Is that even true? Suddenly Yeosang has forgotten English. 

He was thinking about the purpose of the word “not” with respect to something called the determiner phrase when a loud smack shocked him nearly out of his skin. His head shot up to see if someone is possibly trying to rob him or steal his excellently-formatted syntax notes when he saw a stern-looking Hongjoong staring down at him. When Yeosang is sitting, Hongjoong actually looked pretty tall.

“Hyung? What are you doing here? It’s 3 am?” Yeosang asked, but Hongjoong’s expression remained the same.

“You know I never sleep anyway. We need to talk.” He said curtly. 

“Is everything okay hyung? Did you and Seonghwa have a fight?” Yeosang was bewildered. Hongjoong was usually pretty happy-go-lucky, even when mad. Yeosang hadn’t seen him like this, well, ever.

“We’re fine. Well, actually we’re not, because Jongho has been sleeping on our couch and crying a lot, and it’s really ruining the mood.” Hongjoong quipped, sitting down across from Yeosang. 

“Hyung, I’m really sorry to hear that, but it really isn’t anything to do with me. Plus, I have a midterm tomorrow in Grenoble’s syntax class and I’m definitely going to fail if I don-“

“He’s crushed, you know,” Hongjoong barked out, “he’s really upset, Yeosang.”

Yeosang was struck by a very unpleasant feeling that every one of his friends was gathering around Jongho, providing a shoulder to cry on, while he had cried alone in his room nearly every night the past month about the younger. 

“Upset? About what!?”, he asked, “that his hilarious running joke has come to an end? That I won't continue letting him torment me constantly?”

He saw Hongjoong’s face shuffle through a large number of attempted expressions before he settles on one; his mouth hanging open and his eyes open wide. 

“Yeosang,” he said, with a great deal of trepidation, “what the hell are you talking about?” 

“With all due respect, hyung, don’t make me say it when you already know,” Yeosang barked, “he’s been playing that greasy act on us all for months, and I’ve reached my saturation point. I’m sorry, but I can’t continue to let him dangle it in front of me when I can’t have it.”

After a short pause, in which Hongjoong crumpled and un-crumpled several of Yeosang’s precious study guides, he spoke again, “Yeosang, you’re a fucking dumbass.” 

A beat.

“Look, hyung. I have this midterm tomorrow and it’s like 3.30 am, and I don’t really want to listen to you insult me when I could be studying, which I obviously need to do since I’m so stupid. So if you want to go, that would be great.” He somehow managed to say without bursting into tears, despite feeling like he was on the verge of doing so. 

“We’re going to sort this out. Don’t speak to your hyung like that. I’ll see you later” Hongjoong snaps, standing and stalking off to the vending machines. 

Yeosang sighed, wiped a couple of tears that had treacherously appeared, and turned back to the concept of little v and where it can move to within a complementizer. 

His test actually went okay, somehow. Throughout the test, Yeosang couldn’t help but replay the conversation with Hongjoong the night before. Why was Yeosang so stupid? Was he, like, meant to just let Jongho do whatever he wanted to him since he was the youngest? That didn’t sit right with him. 

He’d got a text from Wooyoung, asking to speak with him urgently at his apartment. Woo had mentioned something about a fight with San, and Yeosang was worried about his friend’s state. He wondered if Hongjoong had called him stupid for missing whatever had clearly been going on with Wooyoung and San. Yeosang felt like a bad friend for that, so he rushed over to Wooyoung’s with some chicken and crappy beer to comfort his friend. 

However, when he arrived and rang the bell, Wooyoung didn’t open the door. San didn’t even open the door. 

Jongho did. 

Yeosang spluttered decidedly un-sexily, nearly dropping the precious beer and narrowly avoiding shattering all the glass bottles. Jongho grabbed some of them just in time. 

“Um,,,, is Wooyoung okay?” he finally managed to ask. 

“Come in, hyung” Jongho said awkwardly. 

They trudged in and further inspection of the place made it clear there was no Wooyoung in sight. His favored pair of sneakers weren’t by the door, his obnoxiously-large BTS key ring, attached to his keys and student ID, was gone. 

It had been a setup. 

“Sit down, Yeosangie-hyung,” Jongho asked timidly, vaguely gesturing to the couch. 

Wordlessly, Yeosang does so, fiddling with the sleeves of his large white sweater. He suddenly becomes fascinated by the red wine stain Mingi had made on their light blue carpet last November, noting how from that angle, it sort of looked like Greenland. 

“I think there’s been a misunderstanding, hyung,” Jongho says suddenly, and Yeosang’s head snaps up. 

“Uh, yeah there has been. Where is Wooyoung?” He asks, pretending he hasn’t already accepted that Wooyoung has done one of his hijinks again. What was it with all their friends and constantly getting into hijinks?

“Wooyoung-hyung wanted us to talk things out, but he knew that you wouldn’t come if he told you the real reason why” Jongho speaks in a pout, somehow. 

“So is this, like, a hidden camera or something?” Yeosang found himself asking, “are you gonna profess your undying love for me and watch for my ‘hilarious’ reaction?” This started him on a rather dangerous roll. “And then watch it with the rest of our friends and giggle at my misery? Is that what you want, since I stopped playing along with your games?” His voice became raised and he momentarily forgot that he doesn’t like to shout, controlled by his emotions as they bubbled and boiled over. 

Jongho sighed then, which isn’t the reaction Yeosang expected, frankly. He got up from his spot on the armchair and sat right next to Yeosang on the couch. 

Huh. 

“Hyung, Hongjoongje-hyung made me aware that you may have… misunderstood what I was going for” he began, tentative. 

“What?” Yeosang couldn’t help but interrupt. 

“Uh, okay, so… all cards out on the table,” Jongho began, doing some weird hand gestures that Yeosang knew he did when he was nervous, “I like you” he did some pathetic jazz hands to accompany that announcement.

A beat passed and Yeosang fixated once again on Pinot Noir Greenland. 

“I like you, and I didn’t know how to tell you, but I wanted to tell you how beautiful and amazing you are, so I just decided to, like, tell you a lot?” He sounded more like he was explaining it to himself than to Yeosang. 

Upon hearing this, Yeosang couldn’t help but butt in, “no you didn’t.”

Jongho’s eyebrows raised, “excuse me?”, he said. 

“You just, like, flirt with everyone and everything, and all the greasy shit you say gets everyone into fits of laughter. It’s a bit, right?” Yeosang explained. 

Another beat. 

“Uh, no,” Jongho began, “I don’t flirt with everyone. It’s not a bit. I don’t even think I could commit to a bit like that.”

“Yeah, you do! You’re always cuddling Seonghwa, or dancing with San at parties, or complimenting Mingi!” Yeosang argued. 

Jongho took a deep breath, “Okay, so I flirt with you constantly, and occasionally engage in friendly conversation or activity with one out of 6 of our other friends, and that means I don’t like you? Hyung, all of those times you named I also attempted to flirt with you or compliment you, you ran away!!” He grabbed one of Yeosang’s hands and looked him square in the face. “Who’s the only person I flirted with during all those times, the common denominator? Who’s the person I bought flowers for?”

Oh. 

Oh!

The sudden realization became too much, and Yeosang promptly burst into tears. 

Jongho was stunned, initially just staring at his hyung as he curled into a ball of decidedly not-sexy tears and snot, but then snapping out of it and wrapping his arms around Yeosang, pulling him onto his lap. 

“Hyung, please don’t cry” he placated, stroking Yeosang’s hair.

“I-I was such a horrible person to you.. oh my god…. I thought you were messing with me because you knew I liked you so much, and you w-wanted to get a rise out of me. I thought it was all a bit...oh my god I’m such a b-bastard” cried Yeosang more, burying his head in Jongho’s chest. 

Jongho continued to embrace Yeosang as he wept, reassuring him with soft coos and shushes.

“So, wait, hyung, you thought I was making fun of you?” It dawned on Jongho as Yeosang’s stuttered explanation settled in his mind. 

“I never thought you’d e-ever like someone like me. I-I was up-upset that you were making a joke of my f-feelings when I liked you so much… b-but you weren’t making a joke, oh my god” that last sentence set off even more tears as he explained this ridiculous mess, more to himself than to Jongho.

“Hyung, I would never, ever. I like you so much Yeosangie-hyung. I wanted to tell you how beautiful and smart and sexy you are, because I couldn’t stand keeping it to myself,” the younger spoke softly, wiping some of Yeosang’s tears. “What do you mean ‘someone like you’? You’re, like, stunningly beautiful, hyung. Every time I see you it brightens my whole day. You’re so hardworking too, studying all night for your final. Also, I wasn’t kidding when I said you were amazing in the dance show,” Jongho happily stacked complements onto Yeosang, now the other understood what he was doing, “did I-did I make you cry, over this?” he asked, as he regarded the man currently crying in his arms. If he was crying then, who’s to say he didn’t cry before? About Jongho? The thought made him feel terrible. 

The elder didn’t want to admit that yes, he had cried a lot over Jongho over the past month or so. That would make Jongho feel even worse than he no doubt already did, but it was Yeosang who deserved to feel bad because of his obliviousness. 

He looked at Jongho, trying to spit out the words and reassure him, but he couldn’t work up a smile without more tears falling.

“Oh my god, hyung. I’m so sorry. I never wanted you to feel that way at all. I wanted to show you how much I like you, hyungie. I wanted to impress you.” Sheepishly, Jongho played with Yeosang’s hands and avoided eye contact.

“No, Jongho, it’s my fault for being stupid. God, I’m so dumb… how can you like me now? After all this hassle?” Yeosang muttered, already beating himself up for being such an oblivious drama queen.

“What? No, hyungie. This isn’t your fault, t-“ Jongho began. 

“But it certainly isn’t your fault!” Yeosang exclaimed.

“Okay, true. It’s no one’s fault. It’s settled,” Jongho said decisively, “I hope we can, maybe, eat the chicken you bought and cuddle?”

Yeosang smiled for the first time in a while. 

* * *

They ate the chicken, drank some of the beer, and watched the new Star Trek spinoff. At some point, Yeosang noticed Jongho wasn’t paying attention, not responding to his quips about the Klingon language or pacing of their episodes.

Turning to face the other boy, he was shocked to find Jongho looking straight at him. 

“You okay?” Yeosang asked, nervous.  _ Was Jongho bored? Was Star Trek a bad call? _

“I wanna kiss you” Jongho declared, “if that’s okay.”

Yeosang nodded shakily, his anticipation bubbling over after months of build-up. He turned away from the  _ USS Discovery _ to face the other boy. When their lips met, Jongho tasted like, unsurprisingly, chicken, and beer. But also of familiarity, of home. 

The show was quickly abandoned as they continued to kiss languidly, soon deciding to move to Yeosang’s dorm before Wooyoung got home. Upon arriving at his dorm, Jongho immediately noticed the large amount of makeup on his desk by the entrance, that Yeosang been using to cover up his red eyes and blotchy skin after his crying sessions. 

“Did I cause you to cry this much?” He asked, eyes drooping in sadness as he fiddled with the numerous concealer tubes.

Reflecting on the truth of the matter, yes, Yeosang had needed a lot of concealer recently. But now, with where they stood with each other, he was desperate for Jongho not to feel bad about that anymore. He had been an idiot, but it was in the past now.

Acting with decisiveness and bravery he wasn’t sure he even had, he walked over to Jongho and wrapped his arms around the boy’s neck, placing a rough kiss on his collarbone.

“How about you help me make something I could use it to cover up, yeah?” He smiled.

Jongho’s face shifted, eyes darkening and his huge smile returning. “Oh, don’t think I’ll let you cover any of them. Want everyone to know you’re mine and I’m yours.” he declared, actually picking him up(!!) and carrying him over to his bed. The same bed where he’d binged Hotel de Luna and cried over how he’d never have Jongho. How things change.

* * *

As the door to Seonghwa and Hongjoong’s apartment flies open, Yeosang looks up from the recipe video on his phone to see Jongho and Mingi enter, Chinese takeout bags loaded into their arms. Jongho places the bags carefully on Hongjoong’s renovated coffee table he found in the parking lot of an Arby’s and comes to sit beside Yeosang as Mingi opens the food up.

“Hyung, those shorts look stunning on you. I’ll never get over your yees” Jongho croons, tucking some rogue hair behind his boyfriend’s ear. 

Mingi, who had watched the whole thing take place while trying to open a pack of spring rolls, scrunched his face up in confusion, “yees?” He asked.

Jongho pulled Yeosang onto his lap and swung his legs over the side of the couch, running his hands up and down them while staring at his boyfriend’s face.

“Yeosang knees” he declared as the owner of those knees leans in to give him a kiss.

“My strong, caring boy, carrying all that food for me to eat. Thank you, my sweet Jjongie. But what if I want to eat something else?” Yeosang purrs, hands traveling down Jongho’s chest.

Mingi nearly drops the spring rolls. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks everyone!! I hope you enjoyed!! Let's hope for more yees during this comeback!


End file.
